Wash the plate not because it is dirty nor because you are told to wash it, but because you love the person who will use it next.
—St. Teresa of Calcutta
When my son was about four years old, he loved doing the dishes.
He pulled his stool up to the counter and eagerly plunged his hands in the soapy water. His help often created extra puddles on the floor as he worked his way through all the dishes his small hands could manage.
Blink and ten years later, we had a teenager in the house. As we divided up the chores across the family, his choice to do the dishes surprised me. He could’ve chosen to mow the lawn (only once a week) or folding laundry (once a week AND could be done while watching TV).
When I asked him why he chose to do the dishes, he said it gave him time to think and he liked the peaceful feeling of his hands in the water.
It wasn’t the same perspective Mother Teresa gave when she said,
“Wash the plate not because it is dirty nor because you are told to wash it, but because you love the person who will use it next.”
But my son’s reasoning caused me to reconsider my own mindset regarding routine chores.
Any task we do, whether it’s cleaning plates, scrubbing pans, or putting the grocery cart back in its corral…all of those tasks and more can be done with love for the person who will use it next.
This reminder opened my eyes to the many areas where I tend to silently complain about a chore or begrudgingly complete a task.
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The Practice: Washing Plates
Here’s a few simple questions to bring this into your week:
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What chores or tasks might need a fresh, clean perspective this week for you?
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Could you find peace and presence as you complete your household tasks?
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What if you found a soothing rhythm to sweeping the floor or an energizing game in emptying the dishwasher?
The next time you wash dishes, instead of seeing it as a chore, try picturing the people who will use the pans and utensils you’re washing—your family, friends, guests.
Imagine them at your table enjoying a delicious meal and spirited conversation. It just might make the scrubbing and rinsing easier.
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I can’t always find my way to peace or love (bathrooms are my nemesis), but the key seems to lie in pausing long enough to consider who I am serving by completing the task.
Do you struggle with this too, my friend?
What’s your least favorite household task?
So, out of love for our families and friends…
Join me in the practice of “washing plates” this week and
planting seeds for sacred acts of love,
